- Date
- November 5, 2005, 14:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Omaha, NE
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1020QHughes 269A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 62928
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The loss of engine power for an undetermined reason and the pilot's improper execution of the emergency procedure which resulted in an excessive descent rate and subsequent hard landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The helicopter was damaged during landing following a reported loss of engine power. The pilot reported that while on approach to hover, the engine lost power as he was passing through 60 feet above ground level. He stated that he "pulled back on the stick to slow down and enter autorotation, and began to roll off the throttle and lower the collective." He further stated; "Almost immediately I felt the power come up and the needles joined accompanied by the aircraft yawing. I attempted to apply power and recover but my rate of descent and altitude along with the adverse yaw complicated my recovery." The helicopter subsequently impacted the ground and slid to a stop. Postaccident examination of the helicopter failed to reveal any pre-impact anomalies.
Factual narrative
On November 5, 2005, about 1445 central standard time, a Hughes 269A helicopter, N1020Q, piloted by an airline transport pilot, sustained substantial damage during landing following a reported loss of engine power. The helicopter was on approach to land on runway 30 (3,801 feet by 75 feet, concrete), at the Millard Airport, Omaha, Nebraska, when the loss of power occurred. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The local flight originated about 1440.
The pilot held an airline transport certificate with a rating for multi-engine land airplanes. The certificate also listed commercial priveledges for Rotorcraft-Helicopter and Instrument Helicopter ratings.
The pilot reported that while on approach to hover, the engine lost power as he was passing through 60 feet above ground level. He stated that he "pulled back on the stick to slow down and enter auto rotation, and began to roll off the throttle and lower the collective." He further stated; "Almost immediately I felt the power come up and the needles joined accompanied by the aircraft yawing. I attempted to apply power and recover but my rate of descent and altitude along with the adverse yaw complicated my recovery."
The helicopter subsequently impacted the ground and slid to a stop.
Postaccident examination of the helicopter failed to reveal any pre-impact anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1020Q
- Reported as
- Hughes 269A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 115-0426
- Engine
- Lycoming HO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Harry Barr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Omaha, NE
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Last flight review
- January 1, 2005
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 300 in this make and model · 5,906 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Other investigations on N1020Q · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.